Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has declared that Boko Haram is significantly weakened and “on its last legs”.
In an interview with France24, Idris stated that the group can no longer hold territories in the northeast, having “largely dissipated” and resorting to attacks on soft targets.
“Hitherto, they were holding territories especially in the north eastern part of Nigeria—local governments, towns, cities—now its no longer the case.
“They’ve largely dissipated; they’ve ran into the bushes and coming to take some soft targets.
While acknowledging that Boko Haram hasn’t been completely eradicated, Idris emphasized the progress made. “We’re not saying we have 100 percent exterminated Boko Haram, but I think that we have degraded them significantly for them to pose any significant challenge for us as a country.”
The minister also expressed confidence that security agencies would soon “crush” remaining threats, including the Lakurawa group, and noted that ISWAP is also nearing defeat.
Boko Haram’s violent campaign to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria’s northeast has resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread displacement. At the height of its power, the group seized control of several local government areas, prompting a massive military response.
Despite recent claims of weakness, concerns about a potential resurgence linger, with Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum describing the dislodgement of military formations in certain areas as a “significant setback”.
